It started with a call from Hot Press asking me to go to London to interview Devo at Knebworth in June, 1978. This was unusual as up to that point I had only been writing reviews. Turned out that there was a festival in Ireland that weekend & many of the regular writers were missing in action ..
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The trip began with an interview with Tom Petty. I was somewhat nervous as I hadn’t done many face to face interviews. When he learned that I was from Dublin he launched into a tirade against Bob Geldof & the Boomtown Rats, who had been supporting them on some dates & subsequently claimed that they had blown Petty & his band off the stage. Something Petty absolutely refuted on every level! The interview was entertaining & I found Petty to be a thoroughly decent & open person. .
The Richard Branson Virgin-centric Knebworth line-up included; Genesis, Tom Petty, Jefferson Starship, Devo, Brand X, Atlanta Rhythm Section & Roy Harper. The reaction to Devo was immediately one of hate & animosity. There was a hail of bottles, mud & whatever else was at hand thrown at the band. A couple of the more stoned brethren had suddenly realised that they had just thrown their bottle of wine or whatever at the stage - thus depriving them of much needed lubrication. The ideas of five boiler-suited men wearing helmets was too much for the gathered masses, who seem to be living in a previous musical decade. Nevertheless, Devo persevered, but played a short set. .I left for the backstage area to interview Mark Mothersbaugh. We shook hands & he said they hadn’t given up early because of the hail of missiles, but rather because of the quality of sound they were getting onstage which made it impossible for them to continue. Seemingly annoyed at the technical problems, he left abruptly. I cut my losses & watched Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers deliver a rockin' set. .Pictured here on the boat trip to London, were Hot Press’ Jackie Hayden & partner, Dave Fanning(then a pirate radio DJ), Joe Breen & myself.
Also pictured is a shot I took from the (very far away) press-area.
Then a clip of Jerry Casale talking about the gig.
Lastly, me performing in a Devo shirt in McGonagles, for good measure.
Devo and Dave
